Editing Paradise City:Urban Geography (section)

===Southside Lockdowns:  “The Crypts”===

[[Image:CyberpunkSubway.jpg]]

These lockdowns are probably called “the crypts” due to the extensive subways that honeycomb them.  Such public transport is necessary as private ownership of vehicles is usually banned for residents.  The locals tend to be highly insular, possibly because of sheer lack of mobility.  They don’t use the term “the crypts”, don’t consider themselves to have anything in common with their neighbors and generally do not see themselves as part of any territory that extends beyond their own neighborhood.

Police:  The corporate police care little for protecting the local citizens and extended families form into clans for mutual protection.  While traditional street gangs are known here, after the police, it is these clans who hold most power on the streets.

Gangs:  Much of the ecological role of gangs has been taken over by the clans here, but youths with no family (or no inclination to follow their family’s rules) do form more traditional gangs.  The can rarely contest with the clans for turf, but will engage in hit and run operations to get what they want, or take control of territory that the clans don’t particularly want.  Gangs will generally carry melee weapons, ranging from flick-knives to katanas, depending on how well the neighborhood is policed.

Organized Crime:  As in any lockdown, territory is valuable here, since heavy corporate prohibitions make illegal supply very profitable.  Organizations tend to be run along family lines and the distinction between a clan and a criminal gang is often impossible to draw.  Notions of honor and loyalty to friends and family are central to the culture of most of these groups, although there is more hypocrisy and lip-service to these ideals than genuine commitment.  It is usual for organizations to present themselves as benefactors of the community, protecting them from abuse by criminals from outside.  Territory is divided geographically, rarely with divisions being made by racket except in business districts.

Entertainment:  The residents enjoy all the entertainments of the outside world through their internet connection.

Sports:  Sports in general are popular here, although American football is particularly adored, often leading to brawls between fans.  Combat sports are an integral part of sports culture and events are frequently held.  The rules depend on the disposition of the ruling clan.  Generally, the clans insist that nothing must happen that would offend corporate security, such as the use of weapons.  Dirty street-fighting tactics are generally allowed.  Some clans hold illegal events involving unblunted melee weapons.

Points of Interest:  

“Cloud City” is the name the locals give to a stretch of the Crypts that is so polluted by smog from local Durocorp factories that the air is often not breathable without a gas mask and visibility is often reduced to a few feet.  The many workers who live in the area take great care to make sure that their windows are properly sealed.  As disgusting at the climate is, it provides some protection from surveillance and is a favorite haunt of people who need to hide, people looking to make a secret deal, or people looking for a victim.

Taylor Field lies at the heart of Paradise City’s obsession with American football.  The most financially successful football field in Paradise City, it hosts city, state and sometimes even national championships.  The merchandising empire that has been set up around Taylor Field is enormous and fan obsession there is sometimes hysterical.  People rarely take families to Taylor Field anymore since mob violence between supporters of different teams has become so endemic.  The owners certainly don’t seem to do much to discourage the violence, leading to speculation that they like it because it makes good television.

Weapons:  It is illegal to bring weapons into these neighborhoods and generally very difficult to do, although a low-tech melee weapon can usually be bribed in for $10 or so.  Citizens are forbidden to carry weapons in the street.  Residents are, however, permitted to keep low-tech melee weapons in their homes for home defense.  In practice, this means that most adults hide a small melee weapon, such as a knife, on their persons when they go out in public, and keep larger melee weapons, such as clubs, axes and machetes, in their home.  When a community is going to a battle, they are liable to take their large weapons with them in defiance of the law.  The police tolerate such attacks up to a point, as long as damage to public property is kept to a minimum.

Cyberwear:  Armor that does not look natural is forbidden, as is any weapon that cannot be retracted, and any ranged weapon.  Such cyberwear is rarely found in the territory.

Smuggling:  All citizens wishing to enter the territory must pass through checkpoints where they are scanned for illegal items and cyberwear.  The system is not effective in detecting drugs.